Saturday, October 2, 2010
2:00-4:00 pm
“It’s All Gray With a Touch of Pink and Blue”
Session Description
Boys and girls—men and women—think differently. However, the similarities are greater than the differences. It’s the differences that create some challenges but also opportunities to enliven and provide stimulating environments. Good practice in any early childhood program will take into consideration some “universals” for all learning—regardless of gender—and at the same time effectively differentiate instruction, modify room set-up, foster interaction, promote language, and vary materials in order to meet the needs of both boys and girls.
About Keith
Keith L. Pentz, National Education Advisor for Kaplan Early Learning Company, has been in the field of education for 30 years. Keith began his career by working in childcare with infants and toddlers. Later, he taught elementary students as well as Kindergarten. Keith spent the remainder of his classroom time teaching PreKindergarten and working specifically with low socio-economic families and inclusion students. Following his experiences in the classroom, Keith moved on to teach at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, and he also was a Professor of Early Childhood Education at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.
Keith has served on numerous committees and program implementation groups as well as written articles for publication. Keith has helped author several district-level (Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, Florida) curriculum guides including: social studies in the lower elementary grades along with math curriculum benchmarks and practices for preschool and Kindergarten children. A nationally recognized literacy- and resiliency-based conflict resolution and violence prevention curriculum entitled Peace by Piece was a major endeavor that Keith helped write and to date has personally trained over a thousand teachers, administrators, and parents to use the curriculum.
Along with his classroom experience and writing, Keith has been involved in a variety of research and hands-on programs—specifically regarding play therapy and play as a strategy for the development of cognitive processes. Keith is a founding member of Project Play, a developmental, play therapy-based, and behavior intervention program that works with young children who may have difficulties developmentally, cognitively, or socially and emotionally.
The many and varied experiences have provided Keith with a strong knowledge base and he uses that knowledge in his many presentations, keynotes, consultations, and trainings. Keith speaks to groups at the local, regional, national, and international level. His areas of expertise include:
- Brain-compatible teaching and learning strategies
- Cognitive development/child development
- Early literacy
- Learning environments
- Conflict resolution
- Early childhood curriculum and instruction, and
- Positive discipline models
With a real passion for quality early childhood education, Keith works for educational reform, creating positive teaching and learning models, and applying best practices, always with the child as the central focus.
Keith has degrees from Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania (BA in Music), the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida (MA in Elementary Education), and post-graduate/doctoral studies in early childhood education curriculum and instruction from the University of Central Florida.
